Evidence and Social Innovation for People with Disability Inclusion.
The Fundación Personas Discapacidad y Futuro (Disability and Future) Chair emerged from a strategic alliance between the University of Salamanca and Fundación Personas with the aim of establishing a permanent platform for collaboration in the fields of applied research, specialized training, and knowledge transfer regarding disability.
In a social context defined by profound technological, labor, and demographic transformations, the inclusion of people with disabilities demands innovative responses, based on scientific evidence and focused on real quality of life outcomes.
The Chair acts as a bridge between academic knowledge and professional practice, integrating the university experience of the Institute for Community Integration (INICO) with the Fundación Personas’ track record in supporting people with intellectual disabilities and other types of disabilities throughout their life cycle.
The “Fundación Personas: Discapacidad y Futuro Chair is not just an academic hub. It is a strategic framework where scientific evidence and social innovation become effective inclusion and real transformation”.
This collaborative initiative not only drives research projects but also fosters the development of innovative models in the educational, care, and employment sectors, aligned with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The Alliance
Connecting academia and the third sector to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities through research, training, and evidence-based knowledge transfer.
Mission
Connecting academia and the third sector to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities through research, training, and evidence-based knowledge transfer.
Vision
To be a national and international leader in social and scientific innovation applied to disability, creating sustainable inclusive models.
FROM EVIDENCE TO ACTION
- Training: Capacity building for effective inclusion. Master’s and Doctoral Scholarship Program. Thesis and Final Master’s Project (FMT) mentoring. Micro-credentials in inclusion and an internship program in support services and Special Employment Centers.
- Research: Science applied to real-world challenges—Quality of Life and Quality of Work Life. Awards for social and workplace innovation; Artificial Intelligence applied to the social sector and social-healthcare innovation. Patents, innovative tools, and scientific research publications.
- Dissemination and Transfer: Impactful partnerships. Conferences, seminars, and publications. Networks with universities, non-profit organizations, technology centers, and enterprises.
IMPACT
- Scientific: Applied knowledge in the field of disability and pioneering tools such as the CAVILAB scale. An approach based on rights and scientific evidence.
- Social: Improved well-being and employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
- Organizational: Data-driven management models in support services and Special Employment Centers.
- Public Policy: Contribution to evidence-based policies and the ONU Convention.